THE FENRIR: SUZUKI THUNDER 125 CUSTOM TRACKER BY DETOUR MOTORCYCLES

Remember that part of your life when your youthful hormones were overflowing in your body and you dedicate all your energy only on two activities; computer gaming and eating. Maybe not all of us, but most teenagers definitely went through this phase, when we did nothing but hangout with our geeky friends, stuff our mouths with junk food and smash those buttons of the controller. Hoping to beat that one evil boss for the nth time. But you can’t call yourself a ‘legit’ gamer if you haven’t played even one Role Playing Game or what gamers call RPG. One of the best example of this type of game is the Final Fantasy series.

Kara Santos has been a big fan of the gaming culture, especially Final Fantasy. But unlike you greasy-haired nerds, she’s an outgoing person and loves to explore the real world using her motorcycle. And with her adventurous blog “Travel Up”, Kara shares to the whole world what its like to travel on two wheels.

Kara with her Yamaha Mio Fino in Angat Rainforest and Eco Park in Bulacan.

“My first bike was a Yamaha Mio Fino,” Kara said.

“My blog Travel Up was inspired by the video game concept of leveling up, gaining experience points & exploring new areas. I’m a big fan of the Final Fantasy series and RPGs in general. My first bike was named ‘Chocobo’, a bird-like creature in the Final Fantasy video game universe where characters use them as transportation to explore their world. Chocobos provide a faster way of getting around than going on foot.”

“The custom bike Fenrir is named after Cloud Strife’s motorcycle from the film ‘Final Fantasy: Advent Children’.The bike has elements of the Hardy Daytona from the FF VII game though it’s not as chunky and futuristic-looking since we wanted the bike to still be practical for everyday use, while keeping the spirit of video game adventuring.”

Marvin Geronimo shares the same passion with his friend Kara.A travel journalist and moto enthusiast, Marvin collaborated with Kara for a one-of-a-kind bike project. Using a Suzuki Thunder 125 as the base bike, the head of Detour Motorcycles conjured a bike that merges the world of fantasy and motorcycle.

“I started with Wander One just after winning the Wrangler True Wanderer competition last 2015,” Marvin told CRPH, as he shared how he started customizing motorcycles.

“I have always been fascinated with things that are done by hand and coming from the creative/design field, I wanted to try my design skills on something thats not purely digital.”

“Motorcycles are my passion, so I thought why not apply my design knowledge in building custom motorcycles, it’s like creating a sculpture with wheels. Kara wanted to feature Wander One on one of the magazines that she writes for. So she went here to try it out. She then asked me if it was for sale, because she was on a bike hunt to replace her aging scooter. I said it was not for sale but I can build one for her.”

“I talked to her about passion and inspirations. A lot of it came from video games, mainly Final Fantasy. Seeing the motorcycle from one of the games I told her why not use that as a theme for the bike.”

“After going through a couple of designs, we were set to build it. The good thing about working with her was she gave me a lot of creative freedom. But one thing that I have to keep in mind, she wants a bad-ass battle ready motorcycle.”

“The rear sub-frame was changed, the tank headlights and guage. We also made the exhaust a little bit higher to get the scrambler look. And of course, the ammo cans to add to that battle-ready feel. The clean-polished gold didn’t really suite Kara’s rugged character, so we decided to age it a bit. It was greatly inspired by the Final Fantasy motorcycle.”

Kara is technically the first client of Detour Motorcycles. Marvin and his team has embarked on their journey with a great start. Moreover, they created a new tone in motorcycle customization. Ideas will always be fresh if you will let your imaginations go wild and delve into the unknown.